mathematics

A newly-designed material, which mimics the wing structure of owls, could help make wind turbines, computer fans and even planes much quieter. Early wind tunnel tests of the coating have shown a substantial reduction in noise without any noticeable effect on aerodynamics.

Researchers have captured the first 3D video of a living algal embryo turning itself inside out, from a sphere to a mushroom shape and back again. The results could help unravel the mechanical processes at work during a similar process in animals, which has been called the “most important time in your life.”

In 1714, the British Parliament offered large rewards for finding longitude at sea. Men around the world submitted schemes but only one woman, Jane Squire, published a proposal under her own name. Dr Alexi Baker has been investigating the life story of this remarkable trailblazer.

Has mathematics become too complex and too dominant a force in modern economics? Yes, says Cambridge Judge Business School’s Michael Kitson; no, says economist Dr William H. Janeway. Here both experts set out their views on what’s needed to help avoid a repeat of the recent financial crisis.

Teenage mathematicians and their teachers were welcomed into the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Mathematical Sciences for two workshops organised by the Millennium Maths Project’s Further Mathematics Support Programme.

The screeching produced by children starting out on the violin has curdled the blood of many a parent over the centuries. A pre-concert talk at the Science Festival asks what science can tell us about why the violin is so hard to play.